THE IRISH, TEA, & ME

 

March is here and St. Paddy’s Day will soon be upon us. And if you’re one of the few who follow my blog, you know that my first trip overseas was to Ireland when I was 25. I am now 75.

Growing up, many times I’d heard the song Galway Bay. Now there I was in a hotel directly across from it! I was on a group tour consisting entirely of Floridians like me. Our guide Paddy Hartnet, didn’t know where Florida was on a U.S. map until we described its distinctive shape.

This was only one leg of the journey. Our days began early, we traveled past wide haunting moors, quaint little villages, ruins of castles, and others stalwartly intact.

Climbing the narrow twisting stairs beside the steep drop at Blarney Castle was scarier than being dipped backward and held below the knees while kissing the Blarney Stone, below was a dizzying drop.

Another highlight of the journey was the feast inside an old castle with waiters in medieval attire. They were also performers who sang, danced, & played medieval instruments.

Recently, I watched a YouTube video detailing everything that offends the Irish. One of these, I can relate to and I’m sharing today.

If you are inviting an Irish person to tea, you must have a vast selection for them to choose. I’ve got this covered, but most Americans would not. The Irish are equally fussy about their tea as am I.

I prefer black tea from Ceylon, or any black one from India. I can enjoy green tea but only if it’s flavored and mixed with black. I love flavored teas. Jasmine flowers are OK, but there’s no way I can tolerate Hibiscus! And I absolutely hate Chai! --It tastes as gaggy and awful to me as cilantro in my food!

On this trip during the 1970’s, every hotel room had a plug-in kettle with an assortment of teas with all the fixings. – I discovered this was common throughout the British Isles and on my Thailand trip as well.

I found this quite lovely. After an active day (and they always began before dawn) it felt pleasant to retire to my hotel room and enjoy a cup, often with a scenic Irish view.

And when given a free afternoon to explore, I could usually find a bakery or sweet shop with treats to take back and enjoy with my tea. I was surprised that even in Dublin, milk was still being delivered by donkey cart

The most scenic place I visited was Killarney with its breathtaking landscape & combination of towering & rolling green hills. Connemara was second with its wild rustic beauty.

Also, I traveled into County Tipperary where my fraternal grandmother was born. She was the grandmother I never knew. My father barely knew her! She died when he was seven years old. And my grandfather never remarried.

I recall the exhilarating feeling of standing atop the rugged majestic Cliffs of Moher and gazing out over the vast Atlantic Ocean. These same waters I’d swam in Florida!

Nowadays while relishing a cup at home, my Irish tea always evokes these and many more wonderful memories for me to savor. It’s a cup of pure enjoyment!